


The Sorting of Tom Riddle

by Lunamionny



Series: Our most inexhaustible source of magic [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A very brief implied reference to forced miscarriage/termination of pregnancy, Dark Character, Gen, Hogwarts House Sorting, Hogwarts House Sorting Ceremony, The Sorting Hat, Young Tom Riddle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:47:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22654966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunamionny/pseuds/Lunamionny
Summary: When the Sorting Hat settles itself on the head of the eleven-year-old Tom Riddle, it is immediately repulsed by what it sees in the boy’s mind.
Series: Our most inexhaustible source of magic [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626382
Comments: 22
Kudos: 21
Collections: Love Fest 2020





	The Sorting of Tom Riddle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriDogMom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriDogMom/gifts), [Charlie9646](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/gifts), [LuxLouise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxLouise/gifts), [MegRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegRaven/gifts).



> This little foray into a dark, dark mind is unbeta-ed so please forgive any errors and feel free to politely point them out in the comments :o)   
> Written for Lovefest2020
> 
> Warning: A very brief, implied reference to forced miscarriage/termination of pregnancy.

“Riddle, THOMAS!”

A handsome boy steps towards the Sorting Stool, his face strangely composed; he displays none of the nervousness common of a first year about to be sorted. The Hat settles itself on the head of dark hair and starts eagerly rifling through memories. 

It is immediately repulsed by what it sees. It doesn't like to believe people are ‘born evil’, but when it is confronted by thoughts such as these in the mind of an eleven-year-old boy, it  _ does  _ make him wonder…

There are several incidences of accidental magic, nearly all of which involve harm to others. The Hat watches a memory in which the boy causes a girl who’d refused to give him any of her sweets to fall violently down a set of stairs. What follows is a memory of the boy on a trip with his orphanage, scrambling into a seaside cave with two other children....and what it sees of the events in that cave are so horrifying the Hat hurriedly skips on…

It sees the boy back at the orphanage later that day, with a woman who is with-child frowning at him in concern, asking why Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson have not spoken since they’d left the cave with him earlier that day. The boy lies convincingly about what happened, but the woman does not seem persuaded and continues her questioning. This seems to irritate the boy - his anger spills out of him in another fit of accidental magic and the woman looks down in horror as crimson blood starts to pool between her legs...

The boy’s mind is chillingly unusual in that there is no remorse in it, no guilt, no love and, most worryingly of all, no desire to  _ be  _ loved. It seems the only motivation this boy has is to be powerful and to be feared. 

The boy has a preference to be placed in Slytherin House, and the Hat has to agree that it is probably the best place for him. Although, it seems this specific child is confident that, wherever he is sorted, he will manipulate, charm and lie in an effort to assert power over his peers - and possibly the teachers too - and bend them to his will. It is a frightening prospect to the Hat, and the Hat has seen many minds, many wishes and many dreams.

It has occasionally come across this before - this complete lack of empathy, this  _ amorality _ , but with this boy there is also an almost insatiable hunger for power which makes for quite a horrifying combination. It has only seen minds like this twice before, and they will stay with him forever. 

The Hat makes it's decision quickly because it has no desire to converse with this child and doesn’t want to see any more of his thoughts and memories - they disgust it. As well as his unscrupulous ambitions, the boy's disdain and hatred of Muggle-borns helps the Hat to make a swift decision.

“Slytherin!” it calls out definitively. 

The boy gracefully dismounts from the stool, without a word to the Hat, and the Hat is troubled. It wonders whether he should warn the teachers about this boy - it is sure no good will come of him. Rather, it fears he will only bring pain and terror to all who come within his reach. But it is not the Hat’s place to speak of what it's seen in the children’s minds - respecting the secrets of those it sorts is one of the tenants of the sorting ritual.

However, maybe, with this boy, it will make an exception. Maybe it will whisper something to the Transfiguration teacher - that Albus Dumbledore - because from what it remembers of the eleven-year-old Albus’ mind, he seems to be the type that would heed the Hat’s warning with subtlety and shrewdness...

**Author's Note:**

> Your thoughts and comments are cherished and treasured!


End file.
